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Jan 1, 1000
Slavs accept Eastern Orthodox
Pg. 410- Around 1000 A.D. the ruler and people of Kievan Rus had accepted Eastern Orthodox Christianity. They prospered from trade with the Mediterranean world and western Europe. -
Jan 1, 1200
Mongols sweep in
In the 1200s, the Mongols swept in from Central Asia and conquered Kiev. Under their 200 year-rule, Kiev lost much of its wealth and power. Meanwhile, Moscow became the center of a new Slavic territory called Muscovy. -
Jan 1, 1480
Ivan the Great
In 1480 Ivan III, a prince of Muscovy, drove out the Mongols and made Muscovy idependent. Ivan III was known as "Ivan the Great." Muscovy slowly developed into the country we know today as Russia. Russian rulers expanded their power, built up armies, and seized land and other resources. They called themselves czars, or emperors. -
St. Petersburg is built
Peter the GreatCzars such as Peter the Great pushed the empire's borders southward and westward. They also tried to make Russia modern and more like Europe. Peter built a new capital-St. Petersburg- in the early 1700's. St. Petersburg was designed like a European city with elegant palaces, public squares, and canals. -
Napoleon invades Russia
In 1812 a French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia. Brave Russian soldiers and the fierce winter weather finally forced the French to retreat. -
Czar Alexander II
In 1861 Czar Alexander II, known as the Czar-Liberator, freed the serfs from being tied to the land. His new law did little to lift them out of poverty though. Russia began to industrialize, or change its economy to rely more on manufacturing and less on farming. -
Slavs in Kiev
Pg. 410- During the 800s A.D. early Slavs built a civilization around the city of Kiev, today the capital of Ukraine. This civilization was called Kievan Rus. -
Period: to
Early Russia
